Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
Photo by Tamerlan, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
The mother of the Roman Emperor goes to Jerusalem on a quest close to her heart.
Read
From the Imperial War Museums collection, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain
The closure of slave plantations following the Abolition of Slavery Act in 1833 had a curious side-effect.
© Andy F, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
Britain’s desperate defence against a much larger, better-prepared military machine was a costly victory.
© Colin Pyle, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Wilfrid Israel used his Berlin department store as cover for smuggling thousands of Jewish children to safety in Britain.
© Stanley Howe, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
An enterprising knight rids the Bishop of Durham of a troublesome boar, but the price comes as a shock to his lordship.
© David Dixon, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
To do one’s duty is to peep into the mystery of life, and taste reward from another world.